Travel

In the centre of the old town, Edinburgh Castle sits atop the basalt cone of a long-extinct volcano. It is the most visited castle in Scotland and still guarded by soldiers but it is now mainly tourists who storm the defiant rock.

• The Royal Mile leads from the mighty fortress, downwards, a sloping road from which narrow streets branch off.
• Just off the upper Royal Mile is the church and cemetery of Greyfriars with its many historical and atmospheric tombs.
• The Royal Mile eventually narrows and ends at the Palace Of Holyrood House, official Scottish residence of the British Queen.
• The East Princes Street Gardens are the city’s green paradise with large trees, well-manicured lawns and the massive Sir Walter Scott Monument.